President Bush and first lady Laura Bush wave as they board Air
Force One, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005, before departing Boise, Idaho. (Matt Cilley/The Associated Press)
Posted on 08/25/2005 7:16:32 AM PDT by rface
NAMPA, Idaho - In a bid to shore up support for the war in Iraq, President Bush gathered an arena full of men and women in uniform and loyal Republicans to hear his speech.
They didn't disappoint.
The standing-room-only crowd punctuated the president's 40-minute address regularly with applause and nearly 20 standing ovations. Bush used his friendly audience as a backdrop for comments aimed to turn flagging public support for the war and beating back questions from skeptics, including some soldiers' relatives.
"A heavy burden falls on our military families. There are few things in life more difficult than seeing a loved one go off to war. They miss you and love you," the president said. "By standing behind you, the families are standing up for America."
The president's speech Wednesday at the Idaho Center, an indoor rodeo and concert arena, capped two days of mountain biking and fishing at the Tamarack Resort, about 90 miles north of Boise. He flew to Idaho after a speech Monday before the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Salt Lake City, where he sounded many of the same themes.
Some have criticized Bush for taking a lengthy, five-week vacation while American troops are still fighting in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan, the grief-stricken mother who has camped outside the president's Crawford, Texas, ranch for much of the month, has garnered media attention and sparked peace protests across the country.
Bush's rally with Idaho soldiers was staged in part to silence some of those critics. The president never mentioned Sheehan. Instead, he focused on Idaho families and soldiers who have never wavered in their support for the war.
He pointed to a teary Tammy Pruett in the center of the front row, the Pocatello mother of six boys, all soldiers. Four are in Iraq now and two have already served tours in the Middle East. Bush quoted Matt Salisbury, an Idaho soldier who provided security for the Iraqi elections and marvelled at the joy on an old man's face as he went to the polls last winter. And noting that he, too, was a National Guardsman, Bush reported that Idaho's contingent of 1,700 soldiers deployed in Iraq represents the nation's highest percentage of state guard troops called up.
"Patriotism and public service are alive and well in Idaho and across this country," Bush said in the first of many phrases that brought the crowd to its feet. He rejected the idea of withdrawal. "We will stay on the offense. So long as I'm president, we will stay and fight and win the war on terror."
At the end of his speech, the president acknowledged the fallen, noting 491 of more than 1,800 soldiers killed in Iraq were National Guard troops. "We mourn the loss of every life," he said. "We will honor their sacrifice by completing their mission."
While the president's supporters gave him the cheering soundtrack for his speech, a peace protest at Boise's Capitol Park on Tuesday night produced a different melody. Five women dressed in burlap sacks - the "Potatoes for Peace"- led a crowd of about 300 in a reprise of Vietnam War peace slogans: "One, two, three, four, we don't want your stinking war. Five, six, seven, eight, we will not collaborate." And a woman in a plastic Bush mask was "arrested" by a man in fatigues and told to await trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
On a more somber note, members of the Idaho Peace Coalition and Veterans for Peace staked more than 1,800 small crosses in the grass to represent U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. And the wives and mothers of servicemen and women still stationed there, the Gold Star Families for Peace, demanded answers from the president.
Melanie House, a 27-year-old widow from California, said she traveled to Idaho to fulfill a pledge to speak out after her husband, John, was killed in a January helicopter crash in Iraq. Bouncing her 8-month-old son, James, on her hip, House said her husband questioned his mission before his death and planned to say so when he returned. He never had the chance.
"This is not what I had in mind," House said. "My son will never know his father except through stories and pictures. President Bush took this all away from me."
But Nelda Reed from Caldwell marched her dog around the perimeter of the park carrying a sign with two photos pasted on it that read, "My sons are willing to live or die to protect your freedom."
Wednesday morning, about 50 protesters spread out along the route to the Idaho Center - a few with pro-Bush signs.
Most of the 9,000 invited to the president's speech brushed off rising public discontent with the president and the war in Iraq. In 2004, 68 percent of Idaho voters cast ballots for Bush.
"The protesters get more attention than they really warrant," said Kent Johnson, an aircraft maintenance supervisor at the National Guard's Gowen Field in Boise. "Most of us feel the same feelings the president expressed."
After his speech, the president worked the crowd for 15 minutes, signing autographs and shaking hands, before meeting one-on-one with more than 20 families of dead soldiers. He left Boise at 4 p.m. to return to his Texas ranch.
They saved me from reading the rest of the sullen article.
Leni
ROFLMAO
Of course they were lying about the number of protesters at the Capitol. It was only 100.
This is magnificent work from the President, and he needs to keep on the offensive, not let the liberals get any more traction with their false narrative of events. Until this speech I was starting to fear that the MSM's dismal message was now almost accepted 'wisdom', now I feel that this great start to the run-up to the 9/11 anniversary, when the long-term nature of the task in hand must be reemphasized and emboldened with clear threats to Iran should they continue on their current path.
Pretending that we are not at war is not good enough. The Cold War colored everything for over 40 years, and we lived with it but we never forgot that there was an evil government with teh aim and the ability to destroy our way of life. We have taken the fight to the terrorists and there must be no retreat until US citizens can walk freely - if hypothetically - from Bagdad to Terhan to Istanbul - unmolested save for carpet sellers and camel drivers.
I couldn't read past this point but it made me wonder did any of these biased reporters ever called Clinton's audences 'friendly' everytime he ran to a black church to escape trouble?
If anyone has the transcript of the speech I would appreciate it if you would post the link.
Thanks in advance.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Yesterday's speech was terrific and I hope he keeps it up. Stay on the offensive against these people who are attempting to reprise the Vietnam era.
The fools in the lamestream media are trying their best to make it sound like we're on our way to the big protests of the 1960's, and that the entire country is turning against President Bush.
In reality the "peace" movement is belly-up, because they have been outed as traitors. If the best the appeaseniks can come up with are "grieving mother" Cindy Sheehan, has-been "star" Joan Baez, and a bunch of rag-tag dried-up old hippies who haven't had a coherent thought since they got hold of the brown acid at Woodstock, then I believe we don't have much to worry about.
That said, we need to stay on our guard. As they see their cause swirling in the bowl and the media going on to other stories, they may try something outrageous to get back in the headlines.
"Our president needs to heed his own advice. He needs to stay on the offensive here at home just as much as our military needs to stay on the offensive over there."
Agreed. The greatest battle is here at home.
Our soldiers are the best. They can win and complete the mission. I dont doubt them. Its hear at home where I doubt manys resolve. The left will not prevail this time. They no longer can rely on 3 liberal white guys and a handful of papers being the only source of news to the nation anymore. The internet and talk radio have caused an information revolution. We are the proof! Dan Rathers downfall is the evidence. They left CANT beat us in a fair debate. Bush's re-election proved it.
Bush is right when he says that free nations do not make war on free nations. That free nations do not harbor and nuture terrorists. Democracy is the road to peace.
Peace through strength works. All these fool liberals and America bashers are as wrong about Bush and Iraq as they were about Reagan and the Cold war.
It was the same story then with the left then. We have seen it before.
That the military is 'friendly' and supportive is exactly the opposite of what the rest of the media is portraying.
"In reality the "peace" movement is belly-up, because they have been outed as traitors."
And all we have to do to prove it is quote them!
Simply quote their own words.
Prove it. Where are the letters? Who els heard this? I'm really sorry for your loss, I'm a father, but 16 people have been killed in traffic accidents in Chattanooga at the same time that 11 from the National Guard have been killed. Does that loss mean they can say anything they want about traffic issues?
I know there will be more of them but what is in the water in California that causes people to join a military they disagree with?
While the president's supporters gave him the cheering soundtrack for his speech...
Geezzzzzzz
Talk about bias! This makes it sound like all wives and mothers of servicemen and women belong to Gold Star Families for Peace!
Those protesters in potato sacks reminds me that SPUDS rhymes with DUDS. Pity they didn't put the sacks over their heads for shame.
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